OpTic Texas Climbs to Top Spot in CDL Stage 1 Major Qualifiers
In a strong showing on Sunday, OpTic Texas surged back to the lead in the Call of Duty League 2026: Stage 1 Major qualifiers with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Surge.
This win marked OpTic Texas as the inaugural team to reach four victories in the ongoing five week qualification phase. The closing matches of Week 3 also featured the Carolina Royal Ravens edging out G2 Minnesota in a tight 3-2 battle, while Toronto KOI dominated the Los Angeles Thieves with a clean 3-0 sweep.
Throughout the qualifiers, the 12 participating teams are scheduled for seven matches each, with every win granting 10 CDL points. Although all teams advance to Major 1, set for January 29 to February 1 in Dallas, their performance here will dictate starting positions in either the upper or lower bracket.
Breaking down Sunday’s action, OpTic Texas kicked off with a 250-193 triumph on Exposure Hardpoint, followed by a dominant 6-0 shutout on Den Search and Destroy. The struggling Surge, currently at the bottom of the standings, managed a narrow 4-3 win on Scar Overload their fourth map victory in the qualifiers before Texas sealed the deal with a 250-152 win on Den Hardpoint.
The matchup between Carolina and Minnesota was a back and forth affair. Carolina started strong with a 250-127 win on Exposure Hardpoint, but Minnesota responded with a 6-2 victory on Raid Search and Destroy. Carolina then blanked their opponents 4-0 on Den Overload, only for Minnesota to rebound with a 250-212 win on Colossus Hardpoint. The decider came on Exposure Search and Destroy, where the Royal Ravens secured a 6-3 win.
Toronto’s performance was flawless against Los Angeles, sweeping all maps on Den: a close 250-224 on Hardpoint, 6-3 on Search and Destroy, and a shutout 4-0 on Overload.
The qualifiers continue on Friday with these fixtures: Vancouver Surge facing Miami Heretics, Riyadh Falcons taking on Paris Gentle Mates
Current standings for Call of Duty League 2026: Stage 1 Major qualifiers (match record, map differential):
- OpTic Texas, 4-1, +5
- FaZeVegas, 3-1, +2
- T3. Paris Gentle Mates, 3-1, +6
- T3. Toronto KOI, 3-1, +6
- Riyadh Falcons, 3-2, +1
- Boston Breach, 2-2, 0
- Los Angeles Thieves, 2-2, -1
- Carolina Royal Ravens, 2-2, -2
- Miami Heretics, 1-3, -3
- Cloud9 New York, 1-3, 0
- G2 Minnesota, 1-4, -4
- Vancouver Surge, 1-4, -10
Since: October 29, 2025
